Demonstration of Errors

It was a demonstration of a fetal monitor to be purchased for my department, if found to be satisfactory. A young engineer from the company had brought along the equipment. He connected the cables and power cord and started the demonstration. He started showing various parts of the instrument. “The transducer has both of its surfaces looking similar. How do you know which end goes on the maternal abdomen?” I asked. “This is a demonstration piece. In a marketed piece, we put a sticker on the outer surface” he said. “And it is stuck with Feviquick” I said. The over-spilled sealant was clearly seen along the joints. He looked at it with nonchalance. After looking at the machine for some time, we decided to see if it actually worked when connected to a patient. So we got a patient who needed a nonstress test and he put the transducer on her abdomen to pick up the fetal heart rate. The machine started making appropriate noises but there was no tracing on the LCD display. “There is no tracing” I said. So he started fumbling with the machine. He connected and disconnected the cables. Finally the display was seen. “Show us the recording” I said. “Where is your printer?” I have not brought my printer. Your printer will do. It is compatible with my machine.” “I need to see if your printer is OK for purchase” I said. “I already know our printer is OK.” He ignored me. He did not seem to know that ignoring the buyer was a no-no for a sales person. He started the recording, and the machine went blank. “It has gone blank” I said just to let him know I had understood what had happened. “If you start recording simultaneously, it takes some time to start” he said. Funny. All the machines I had used before could do both things right from the start. “How much time?” my lecturer asked. “Um ... some time” he answered. “The volume is low” I said, after I had adjusted the volume control knob to the highest position. “It is low with some babies and high with some other babies” he said. I did not press the point. “Where is the twin recording facility?” I asked. “I have not brought it for demonstration.” he said “It is not commonly asked for. If anyone wants it, we give him a smaller separate unit.” He mimed showing a smaller unit next to the one he was showing us. “Its additional advantage is that you can use it as an independent unit if you want, on another patient at the same time”. “You mean it is not connected to this machine and the record does not come on the same paper?” I asked. “No.” “Then I can use just one machine, first for the first baby and then for the second baby. Why would we ask for a machine with twin monitoring facility?” He must have thought we all were retarded. He repeated his previous answer again. “I think he thinks I am so old that I will believe anything he says” I said conversationally to our hospital engineers. “Or perhaps he believes I am so old I will not understand anything.” He ignored me. Perhaps he did not know I was the buyer. “Your product's finish is also not good. See, the stopper on the power pin has not been pasted well.” “That is because this is just a demonstration piece. The marketed piece looks really good” he said. That was the last straw. He really did not know marketing. “See, when there is a marriage proposal, the boy and girl try to look their best when they meet each other. They cannot think of looking shabby, saying they will look good after marriage. Think of your machine like a bride or a groom. If it does not look attractive, no one will fall for it.” I knew I would not get even thanks for my free advice. But I hoped he would understand the value of the advice if he wanted to be successful in marketing.